Switching valve



Mmh- 30,1926. l 1,518,429 A. J. GVRINDLE y SWITCHING VALVE Filed Feb. l5, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 @Mfg/f @Mza y STATES- Patented vMar; 30, 1926.v

'i nUianEYYJQ-GRINDLE; or' -CHICAG,-1LLIivoIs,"AssIGNon ro'ennvntn FUEL-nourri, I nEivT COMPANY, or HARVEY, rumors, A oonronAT-Ioiv `or immersi .citizen of the United: states, residing@ Chicago,in the county ofCook and State of y swironinevarvn t application nea rebrary To allwhom'z't,mag/concern) Be knownthat I,'AUBREY J. Gninniimfa Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement f 'in Switching Valves,

i f of which the following is a specification.-

vThis-invention relates to valves, particu# larly to .one especially; designed`- for use 'in 'I controlling the 1 delivery of gpow'dei'ed materialsuchas coal-efroin acentralfstation to. various sub-stations,v as fully `set forthffor Vinstance inV vmy YpriorV application, Serial .Number` 440,007, of which vapplication this invention is inV certain Vparticulars con- The object of the invention'is' to 'provide a valve for this purposeV which handles the powdered material without y clogging; which is Aself-sealing soy that air used to force the powdered material Ithrougl'if the valve does not readily escape, fai id which is providedwith automatic electrically controlled locking mechanism 4forholding the valve device in each of tivo desired positions.

VThe invention consists in a mechanism capablek of Aattaining' the foregoing objects, which can beeasily and cheaply'inade, which is satisfactory in use and is not readily liable to get out of order `More particularly, the invention "consists f in the manyfeatures and details of construcout the' several views Figure 4 is an end view largely in? section,

- taken from the left of Figure, 1. Figure 5 is a changed position vView of thek valve lockingvmech-'anismof Figure -1.

tion which willbe hereafter more fully set Vforth in the specification and claims. l

Referring t 0 the-draw ngsin wliichflilie numeralsdesignate the same parts through- Figure lis an exterior face `view of valve mechanism andits piping connections illustrating `this .invention in its preferred'form.

Figure 2 is a verticahfcentral, sectional detail view throught-he "device of Figurefl, taken on the line 2- -2 of Figure` 8.` y

Figure 3'is a sectional planview lof the mechanism of this invention., v

In the particular form Vof the mechanism shown in the drawings, the centralpcircular hollow case l0, adapted tobeclosed by a rear cover. l2, securedin place byfany suit-` ahlemea'ns'suchA as bolts 14, is provided, the saine having onv onesidean@ intaker port or v provided throughlthe',l device for@ the passage vof powdered material., Or i 'i 15,11923L1-1seria1n0. 619,313.'` "i l A:and at another convenientpoint,

`ri'ire'ferably`- on' l the opp'ositeside, twoE dis-v charge ports or vpassagesl l8 a nd v2O.,` In the particular device ofthe drawings, thesepassages terminate in flanges V22%24 and 26, krespectively, to .which connecting pipes 28T-H30 hereafter described may bev contained 'and 'operate inside the case without, when thel valve `niechanisnf'i .isopento a` given pipe, obstructing or reducing the effective' area a curved closure segment '34 of. sufficient width to', when vproperly positioned, soniewhatl more than cover and close the inner end :of'passages 18 or20, as the 'case may be.

oppositeendsofthis segment 34 are triangular arms 36, placed radiallyof the zcase 10I and terminating in aligned 'stub v'shafts l *40'and '42, yjournaled, respectively, in thel cover 12-and the front wall ofthe case 10, 'jas clearly appears in Figure 3. Q'Ihese triangular members 36, may, if desired, but not f 85 Y brace n'ieinber 44 connecting their o'pposite necessarily, be heldy rigidly 'apart "the inner walls,

In orderr to prevent powdered material? The portions of wall members-461211101 ,48 which border this last ymentioned passagei act as stopsto'the angular lmovement yof ,the i Vvalvemember '34 in the manner entirely obvious on inspecting yFigure2.y t

` Stub shaft 40 has rigidly secured to any suitable means, as,` for instance, the bolt' `Y 'Ilie particular valve, of this invention is r "Rigidly connected to' and at right'ang'flesfto` ,Y

' handled by the valve mechanism from filling and i caking inv casej10,` angular partition vwalls 46/and 48'- arepreferably linserted in- Y.

iside the case in suitable notches 50 asshOWn,

the passages 18'andf20, heretofore referred to.

56, 'a-lever 58 carrying at oneend a weight I of sufficient size so that wlientlie partsare left otherwise uncoi'itro'lled, they' Awill automatically move fromA thefposition 'of Figure, 2 vto lthat shown in dotted lines Figure 5,V inavhichfthe vvalve member` 34 closes passage 20. `lVeight 6() 1`na`y','it` 'de Vsired, be provided at its 'bot-tom with ai perL f oration 62to-wl1ich a.pull1cliain,fnot shown,

may be attached, if desired oriany` useiul.V

purpose. The opposite end of lever from Weight 60 is provided vvvith a pull chain 64 or other convenient deviceby which amore or less-distant operator can, by pulling uponj n tioally through it conventional coref6'8,

y.terminating at its lower end in a vlinkv 70,

pivoted 72 to' one arm vM oflever pivoted on'the case atv 76, Whose opposite arm 78 oon'- tains lock notch 8O engageable by the end o'fa svvinging leverA 82 carried-by stub'shaft 42, 'being securedtheretobyfany suitable means as, ior instance,the nut 84. Thecore 6'8and attached lever parts arevheavier than lever arm 78 with theresu'ltfthat when the parts are in the position of Figure l with no lcurrent on the. solenoid 66,'th'e said lever arm 78 is 'always urged upward and therefore retained in thedescribed lockingposi- 'tion Aof Figure l, therebyholdingl valve member 3% inthe fullline position oij'l*`igure 2 ,so` that fuel material delivered from the left through ,passage Ylfoan travel,v

through passages 52-454 andl 2O to pipe 32 and that Vnoneof this material can pass through ports 18V/to pipe 30;

Lever arm 78'is also soshaped that When Vit ha'svbeen" released from the position oi vFigure. 1 and lmoved' dovvnvvard vfor a` suite cient lengthot time so thativve'ightI 60ca`n i act" in' the mannerdescribed to rotate valve Y. V34 to thedotted line position of 'Figure 5,

` the left hand endloi arm 78`V Will s'Winoup' behind the endof'lev'er'82, las shown :iny *igure l5, and thus lock they parts inthe dotted 'line' position" ot'Figure- 5, inV Whichv case Amaterial delivered vfrom' the leftv through 1 assave 16 of `Fi-ure r2 isV orevented from entering passage 20-and pipe 32j, but has free accessV to .flow through passage I8 fto pipe 30. From theforegoing, it 'Willfbe seen f that leverk 82 andlever arm v78 cooperating together'positively lock the valve injone or the other, as the case may be, of its positions in which it controls access from the passage f 16 to pipe 30 or 32, as the casemay be, and

that it is the Weight' of core 68 andv attached parts which holds these lever members vin .this locked position.

From t-he foregoing, it is'v'clearly apparent u that it is'onlynecessary to send electric current through conventional solenoid 661:0 elevate member 68 andthus move leverarm 7 8 a oounterfolocltvise*direction about pivot 76 to destroy this locking action sothat in onelcase the weight 60,7may inovethe parts .tol dotted line position 'oiifFig'ure 5 and in the other case, the operator may, byfpulling f :on 'chain 64 move the parte .to ,the full dine positionV of Figures. il and; 2,; fggMeans 'Y for sending current through'the solenoid 66Vis jne partf of the present invention. 5 Such means, more ,fully shown, described andV claimed in anotherfapplication, is more vor less diagrammatically indicated inthe ligures the ,samel consisting of two? electric Wires 86 vand 88,' `each connectedat'oneend n in conventional ymanner'to the solenoid ,66

and 'attheV other end to yelectric 7switch blades 94 and' 96, respectively;k When'the valve is f in the .position shoxvniii'-V Figure 1, lswitch blade A96 makes' Contactv vwithterminal 92 'a'nd svvitch'blade 9ifmalrese'ontact ywith terminal.

the terminals 90., and 92' being periodi y callyr energized by means not shown, current 'tlowsthrough the solenoid to llitt core 68 and'thus moveslever 78 out'ofthe'ivayofV Y lever When the valve is r in `position"of1liligur'e Y,

5, switch blade 9nialres Contact vvithtermi;`

nallOO, energizedbymeans not shown, and underthis. f condition, termi-nal" 101' on the solenoid is this inventionand" therefore notv shown.

shown switch is 'automatically or manually operated, the' solenoid'*is'` again energizedwith theresult"l that lever 77,',8'is'Vr again With'- drawn from loel'ring'relation against. lever 82.

lVihilfethe parts are in the position of Figure l and'current iis supplied 'to terminals 90 and 92,; the` solenoid 'is operated thereby releasing locking lever'78 and allowing Weight 60. to act, thus moving the valve to the position ofy Figuren, thusautomatically 'breakingV current flowing via terminalsl()vv and 92 also e'leletrically ener'gizable through switch mechanism not'entering into 'lhereiore,'in this "position, vvlienjsaid not vim) to solenoid and aty the same'time causing lever to loc-'lrv lever 82.,r v Y A 'In order to return the vvalve tothe posi- 'rio i011 0f Figures 'l' andl2, the solenoid must again be energized through thef'switch, not

shown, heretofore referre'd'to, -therebvldisengaging lever arm 78iro-m'lever 82 of ig- Y ure `5, thus Kenablin'g'f the "operator to pull chain 64 .andrestolre the parts to .the positionV of 4Figure This operation breaks Contact atfsvvitchblade 94 and terminal 100 thus 'again (le-energizing solenoid.

By the constructron' heretofore fully deseribed,y a valve mechanism isy provided for switching fuel material from pipe 28 and f passage l'to'feither pipe 32: or 30, Vasl theoase may be'. j It automaticallylocks itselil in each of those positions and cani only be` released'A by the operators sending'eleotrie current through: solenoid 66. Y 1 A f The .use ofthesegmental valve '34 carried by theaiims 36 insead'oa complete circular v or cyhndrioalval've .is of'c'onsiderable im`` l portance in that it can be made of looser fit against the inner circumference of the valve case 10 and the packing of the coal or other powdered material around it, particularly When in the position of Figure 5, relied upon to insure complete sealing of the valve in operation. f i

Having-thus described my invention, What I claim asnew and desire to secure by Letters Patent iszv v l. In mechanism Vof the class described, a

l valve case having a port, a pivotal valve in the case swingable over and off fromsaid port, automatic means for so swinging it Iin 'one direct-ion, meansjfo-r selectively movingv ment (34), two parallel radial members 36` attached thereto, stubv shafts on said radail members, a Weighted vlever on one stub shaft,

an electrically releasable automatic lock on the other stub shaft, a casing enclosingthe valve, journalling the stub shafts, provided With a port selectively closed and opened by movement of the valve, another port in Vthe case and interior partitions 46 and 48 forniing a passage between the ports and limiting stops for the valve.

, In meclianismoftlie classdes'cribed, ak

valve casing having a port, a valve in said casing rotatable to tvvo positions in one of which it covers and in the other of which 'it uncovers said port, an arm aflixed With respect to [said valve, a member pivoted intermediatek its ends and including means car-l ried by the portion thereof to one side .of its pivot cooperating vvith said arm to lock said valveineacli of its aforesaid rotated positions, anda solenoid connected'vvith the portion of said member to the other side of its pivot operable when energized torrotate said' member out of locking engagementwvith said y a i arm, saidsolenoid Vbeing so Iarixanged that the Weight of the kcore thereof operates no rmally to rotate said member to a position m locking engagement vvithsaid arm.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my nam e Y AUBREY J. GRINDLE. 

